In an electrical utility grid consumers can usually consume electric power in an uncontrolled manner. Since hardly any energy is stored in the grid, there can be no imbalance between the power produced and the power consumed. Therefore, the momentary production of power shall match the momentary power consumption. Overproduction leads to an increase of the grid frequency beyond the nominal value (e.g. 50 or 60 Hz), since the conventional synchronous generators accelerate, while over consumption will lead to a decrease of the grid frequency beyond the nominal value (e.g. 50 or 60 Hz), since the conventional synchronous generators will then decelerate.
In order to stabilize the frequency of the electrical grid, conventionally about 10% of the producers contribute to what is called “primary power control”. These producers, also referred to as “primary controllers”, increase power output when the frequency falls below the nominal value and decrease power output when it rises above the nominal value.
Conventionally, wind turbine generators do not contribute to primary control, firstly because wind turbine generators can't normally increase their output power by command (as they normally operate at nominal load or, when operating at partial load, at an optimal working point), and secondly because the available wind power shall normally be entirely exploited.
Generally, wind power adds an additional moment of grid instability because, with a significant fraction of wind power in a grid, not only the consumption is uncontrolled, but also the production by wind turbine generators. Even though wind forecasts enable the wind power production to be predicted with considerable accuracy on a long-term basis (at the level of hours), the wind speed normally fluctuates in an unpredictable manner on a short-term basis (at the level of minutes down to a few seconds). A wind turbine generator operating at partial load (i.e. when the wind speed is below the nominal wind speed of the wind turbine generator considered) will normally transform these wind-speed fluctuations into corresponding fluctuations of the amount of real power produced and supplied to the electrical grid. Only at wind speeds above nominal, when a wind turbine generator operates at nominal load, wind turbine generators normally control their output power to be constant at the nominal output power.
The consequence of fluctuating-power production by wind turbine generators on the grid stability depends on characteristics of the grid. In a large, stable grid a power fluctuation by a wind turbine generator or wind power plant will not produce any significant response in the form of a frequency fluctuation. Thus, such grids can cope with higher power variations.
The operation of relatively large amounts of wind power together with conventional power plants needs to be coordinated in terms of regulating characteristics and power reserves, aiming at the power balance and frequency stability of the grid. The need for coordination is more evident when the wind power production participates with regulation services for the system.